The Indianapolis Colts were given an interesting collection of players in this recent seven-round 2026 NFL mock draft.
We are in full swing of the 2026 NFL Draft season as mock drafts become heavier and more prevalent.
This week, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller released a full seven-round mock draft, and there are some interesting takeaways from who he gave to the Indianapolis Colts, who are in the midst of a defensive rebuild.
ROUND 2, PICK 47
ED R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
"Teams looking for a speed rusher this year have identified Thomas as one of the best," Miller wrote. "He's a blur off the snap with excellent twitch and an ability to get under the hands of opposing offensive tackles. The Colts have room for an additional rusher to work in concert with Laiatu Latu and free agent signee Arden Key."
Thomas isn't a bad pick in general, but he may not be what the Colts are looking for right now in an edge defender, unless they were to flat-out believe he was the best pass rusher available there at 47.
The Colts moved on from their five-year starting strong-side defensive end in Kwity Paye, who they've yet to replace. They don't currently have an adequate power edge to start.
Thomas is a bit undersized and lacks the length that Colts GM Chris Ballard and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo typically go for in edge players, as Thomas measures 6'2", 241, with just 31-5/8" arms and hands under 9".
For what it's worth, Thomas has collegiate production, with 15.5 sacks, 22.0 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns over the last two years.
ROUND 3, PICK 78
G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
"You won't find a nastier blocker than Rutledge in this class," says Miller. "He plays with a mean streak in run blocking that has coaches falling in love with his game. He would be a Day 1 starter at right guard over Matt Goncalves."
This would be a luxury pick for the Colts; not necessarily bad, just not very productive. Rutledge may be the best player available to the Colts in Round 3, but replacing a perfectly fine right guard in Matt Goncalves when there are prevalent needs in other areas of the roster is not a win-now move.
ROUND 4, PICK 113
WR Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
Caldwell is a super enticing height/weight/speed project, at 6'5", 216, with a 4.31-second 40, 42" vertical, and 11'2" broad jump. However, the Colts might be waiting a bit for their return on investment. Caldwell spent three years at Lindenwood, an FCS school, and he often fails to play up to his size.
ROUND 5, PICK 156
LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana
The Colts traded away starting MIKE linebacker Zaire Franklin this offseason, leaving a large void in the middle of the defense. Fisher is as good as it gets among linebackers in this draft when it comes to his football IQ and approach to the game. However, he is physically limited and better suited for a third linebacker/core special teamer role.
The Colts waiting until the fifth round to fill such a significant need with a player who isn't an exceptional athlete is a lost opportunity.
ROUND 6, PICK 214 (from PIT)
DT Landon Robinson, Navy
With his strength and agility, Robinson is a good roll of the dice by the Colts here to push for a rotational spot behind Grover Stewart. They drafted Tim Smith for that purpose last year with the 190th pick, but he was planted on the practice squad. Robinson stands a decent chance in this scenario of moving ahead of Smith and Derrick Nnadi for the backup one-tech spot.
ROUND 7, PICK 249
DT Deven Eastern, Minnesota
Eastern has great size and length at 6'5", 315, with 34" arms, but lacks the play strength, pop, mobility, or balance to think he could back up either of DeForest Buckner or Stewart.
ROUND 7, PICK 254
WR Caullin Lacy, Louisville
The good with Lacy is that he does have some yards-after-catch juice, but here comes the bad. He'll be 25 by the time his rookie season ends. He's short in stature (5'9"), with short arms (29-3/8"). Lacy lacks elite speed, struggles to get consistent separation, and is credited with 16 drops and a contested catch percentage of just 43% for his college career.
He translates to a slot receiver with return ability in the NFL if he makes a team, but the Colts already have two slot receivers in Josh Downs and Anthony Gould, and Gould returns punts and kicks. The Colts have now selected two receivers in this mock that they likely cannot use in 2026.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thurs., April 23, with Round 1 beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. Day 2, which includes Rounds 2 and 3, begins on Fri., April 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The third and final day, which includes Rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7, begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sat., April 25.